Go Big or Go Home
Encyclopedia
"Go Big or Go Home" is the third season
premiere of the American comedy television series Parks and Recreation
, and the 31st overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC
in the United States on January 20, 2011. In the episode, Leslie
gets Ann
to go on a date with state auditor Chris
to persuade him to increase the parks department budget. Meanwhile, Andy
continues harboring feelings for April
, while a youth basketball game is ruined by Tom
's jealousy over Ron
dating his ex-wife Wendy.
The episode was written by Alan Yang
and directed by Dean Holland
. It was the first to feature Adam Scott
, Rob Lowe
, Jim O'Heir
and Retta
as regular cast members rather than guest performers. Frequent guest stars Jama Williamson
and Natalie Morales
also reprised their roles. "Go Big or Go Home" marked the first original Parks and Recreation episode in eight months. It was filmed immediately after the second season
concluded due to Amy Poehler
's pregnancy, but NBC ended up placing the show on hold to accommodate their new series, Outsourced
.
The season premiere was the first Parks and Recreation episode to air in its new 9:30 p.m. Thursday time-slot between the two popular shows The Office and 30 Rock
. According to Nielsen Media Research
, it was seen by 6.19 million households. It was the series' highest rating in the ages 18 to 49 demographic, and marked the highest overall viewership since the series premiere
. The episode received generally positive reviews, with several commentators particularly praising the scene featuring "Swanson Pyramid of Greatness", Ron Swanson's guide to successful living.
(Amy Poehler
) excitedly informs her fellow employees that the parks department has been reopened, although on a shoestring budget. State auditors Chris
(Rob Lowe
) and Ben
(Adam Scott
) announce they may only conduct existing park maintenance, but Leslie wants to offer better programs and services. Meanwhile, the always-optimistic Chris continues trying to convince Ann
(Rashida Jones
) to go on a date with him. Ann finds him too intense, but Leslie convinces her to accept a date and try to persuade Chris to increase the parks budget.
Due to popular demand from citizens, Ben restarts the youth basketball league, although with only two teams. They are coached by Ron
(Nick Offerman
), who is extremely strict and disciplined with his players, and Andy
(Chris Pratt
), who is very laid back and lets his kids go out of control. Tom
(Aziz Ansari
), who referees the game, becomes jealous when his ex-wife Wendy (Jama Williamson
) arrives to support Ron. Tom insists he is happy with his new girlfriend Lucy (Natalie Morales
) and does not mind that Wendy is dating Ron. However, Tom repeatedly calls false fouls against Ron's players until all of them are benched. When Ron and Wendy get angry, Tom ejects them from the games and declares it a forfeit, which concerns Lucy.
Ann finds she enjoys her date with Chris. When she asks why he is always so positive, he explains he was expected to die as a baby due to a blood disorder, so he now feels fortunate to be alive every day. Leslie crashes the date to help Ann persuade Chris to increase the parks budget, but to her surprise, Ben also arrives, having predicted Leslie's plan. The four end up taking their date to a gay bar called The Bulge, where Chris tells Leslie he will consider increasing the parks budget. Leslie excitedly declares "mission accomplished", accidentally giving away her scheme and prompting Chris to leave, hurt that Ann had an ulterior motive for the date. Later, however, Ann apologizes to Chris and asks for another date, to which he happily agrees.
Meanwhile, April
(Aubrey Plaza) shows up to work after having disappeared three months. Andy still has a crush on April, who previously liked Andy until she learned Ann had kissed him. Andy had been leaving messages to April ever since, but she did not return them because she was in Venezuela
, where she met her new boyfriend, the handsome Eduardo (Carlo Mendez). A discouraged Andy seeks advice from Leslie, who encourages him not to give up and to "go big or go home". Inspired by her own advice, Leslie proposes restoring the parks department with a Harvest Festival
, which was once a Pawnee tradition until eliminated by budget cuts. Leslie and the other parks employees agree that if it is not a success, the parks department will shut down. Impressed by their enthusiasm, Chris and Ben agree to the idea.
premiere, was written by Alan Yang
and directed by Dean Holland. It was the first to feature Adam Scott, Rob Lowe, Jim O'Heir
and Retta
as regular cast members rather than guest stars. Frequent guest performers Jama Williamson and Natalie Morales also reprised their roles. The episode was originally expected to debut in September 2010 and, due to Amy Poehler's pregnancy, the Parks and Recreation producers decided to write and film the first six episodes of the season early so it could meet that air date. However, to accommodate their new comedy series Outsourced
, NBC opted not to put Parks and Recreation on the fall schedule, and instead delayed the third season premiere to a mid-season date of January 20, 2011. Due to the delay, "Go Big or Go Home" is set in the fall, when it was supposed to air, rather than the winter when it was actually broadcast. NBC chief executive officer Jeff Gaspin
said this move was not a reflection on Parks and Recreation, and suggested the extended hiatus would not only have no negative effect on the show, but could actually build anticipation for its return.
"Go Big or Go Home" was the first original episode since "Freddy Spaghetti
" in May 2010, and executive producer Michael Schur
said while he believed it was a strong episode, there were fears the hiatus would hurt the momentum of the series: "Of course, any time you're not on the air, you run the risk of people forgetting about you; that's the sad thing about the mid-season show." The week of the third season premiere, Amy Poehler said of the hiatus, "It was an NBC decision and certainly we were confused. But I think, weirdly, there's a momentum that comes from people waiting for us, which is nice." Poehler also said the long hiatus made an ironic sort of sense for the script, since at the beginning the characters have "taken too much time off and we've all gone a little crazy". While Parks and Recreation previously aired on 8:30 p.m. EST on Thursdays, "Go Big or Go Home" marked the first episode in a new 9:30 p.m. Thursday time-slot between the two popular shows The Office and 30 Rock
. Poehler said of the time-slot, "'The Office' is such an amazing show and to be behind it is an honor." In anticipation of new viewers due to the Office lead-in, "Go Big and Go Home" included an introductory sequence describing the previous events of the series.
"Go Big or Go Home" introduced the subplot of restoring the parks department budget through a harvest festival, which continued to be a major story arc throughout the first seven episodes of the season. It also marked a major development in the romantic subplot between Ann and Chris. Rashida Jones said of her character: "I think women over-correct from their last boyfriends, and Chris is very much the opposite from Mark," a reference to Mark Brendanawicz
, a character eliminated the previous season. During one scene at Ann's house, Leslie suggests outlandish and inappropriate ways for Ann to try to seduce Chris into increasing the parks department budget, including wearing a sleeveless tuxedo dress that suddenly bursts open. Amy Poehler said she and Jones improvised
much of the scene. Poehler said of the scene, "I think it's really funny how little game (Leslie) has with guys. She's not a fool, it's just not her expertise, so when she talks about how to be sexy or hot to get someone's attention, it's always really crazy."
While coaching basketball, Ron Swanson shows his players what he calls the "Swanson Pyramid of Greatness", a guide to living similar to the "Pyramid of Success" used by John Wooden
. The pyramid includes several different categories, with honor at the top, and others below it such as America, buffets, wood working, welfare avoidance and deer protein. A poster of this pyramid was included in promotional materials given to media in advance of the episode's broadcast, and images of it were later placed on the official Parks and Recreation website. During the basketball game, Ron wears a red sweater and, at one point, angrily throws a chair into the court. These are references to the basketball coach Bobby Knight, who Ron had professed great admiration for in the pilot episode
.
During scenes at the gay bar, a stylized stencil poster of Leslie hangs on the wall. It is designed in a similar way to the Barack Obama "Hope" poster
designed by artist Shepard Fairey
, with the word "Knope" instead of "Hope". This poster was previously featured in the second season
premiere "Pawnee Zoo
", where Leslie is praised as a gay rights hero for marrying two male penguins at a ceremonial wedding at the zoo. During the parks department shutdown, Tom gets a part-time job at Lady Foot Locker
, a retail sportswear and footwear store. He wears the store uniform, which resembles a referee shirt, when he actually referees the youth basketball game later in the episode. Tom's part-time job is a reference to the second season episode "Woman of the Year
", where it is revealed Tom's friend Jean-Ralphio also worked at a Lady Foot Locker.
, with a 3.2 rating/8 share among viewers between ages 18 and 49. It marked the series' highest rating in that demographic, and the highest overall viewership since the series premiere episode from April 2009, which was seen by 6.77 million household viewers. "Go Big or Go Home" lost about a quarter of the viewership of the episode of The Office ("Ultimatum
"), which was seen by 8.3 million households, but New York
magazine described this as a "respectable drop-off" given the popularity of that series. Parks and Recreation received a higher rating in its time-slot than the CBS
crime drama series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
, which had more viewers at 14.34 million households, but a lower 3.1 rating/8 share. Both shows were defeated by the Fox
comedy-drama series Bones
, which received a 6.5 rating/10 share and was seen by 10.55 million households.
writer Alan Sepinwall said the episode was effective in appealing to both new and old viewers, developing various character subplots and establishing the harvest festival story arc. He also praised the performances of Chris and Ann, which he called a far better and more interesting pairing than Ann with Mark Brendanawicz. Linda Holmes of NPR
suggested the season premiere was a good place for newcomers to the series to start watching. She said all the characters were funny and the two new cast members had been seamlessly integrated into the show. Time
magazine writer James Poniewozik
called the episode an "excellent start" to the season, and said the harvest festival subplot would help better focus the series by giving the characters a single goal. Poniewozki said it also "reminds us that the show is about something: the idea, maybe quaint-seeming in this political climate, that civil servants can actually see themselves as servants and work in their community's interest". Damian Holbrook of TV Guide
said "Go Big or Go Home" was an improvement on an already strong second season, claiming "the comedy seemed snappier, the relationships better grounded and the ensemble cast at their best.
CNN
writer Henry Hanks praised the season premiere and said he was "overjoyed" that the show had returned. He found particularly funny the scenes at the start of the episode which showed the part-time jobs Tom, Donna and Jerry had during the parks department hiatus. Steve Heisler of The A.V. Club
said "Go Big or Go Home" not only included many fun moments, but that the jokes felt "fresher and more rambunctious" than they had in the previous season, and that the shows seemed to have discovered "a newfound sense of purpose". Gail Pennington of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch
said "Go Big and Go Home", along with the five other first episodes of the season "couldn't be funnier". The Hollywood Reporter
writer Tim Goodman felt the episode was a strong start to the season, and particularly praised Rob Lowe, whose character he said was "really beginning to jell". Blogcritics
writer Jerome Wetzel wrote, "I can't express in words how good it is to have Parks and Recreation back on television." Wetzel said the characters were so well defined that the show rivaled the ensemble cast of The Office, a comedy made by the same producers as Parks and Recreation. Zap2it
writer Rick Porter wrote that Parks and Recreation "was one of the two or three funniest comedies on TV when it finished its second season, and it begins its third season having lost none of its mojo". He particularly praised the performances of Nick Offerman and Rob Lowe.
Matt Fowler of IGN
said the episode was a pleasant way to return to the series, and was glad the harvest festival would give the characters something specific to focus on. However, Fowler felt there was a lack of closure over Tom's resentment in the episode of Ron dating Wendy. Joel Keller of TV Squad felt the new Chris and Ben characters served as a strong springboard into the third season, and that the premiere episode lived up to the anticipation caused by the show's long hiatus. However, Keller said Tom's continued pining for Wendy felt "a little protracted at this point". New York
magazine writer Steve Kandell praised the episode and said the parks department employees taking drastic steps to save their department reflected Parks efforts to seek out higher ratings. Kandell, however, felt introducing Chris' tragic back story in the episode felt rushed. Eric Hochberger of TV Fanatic called the episode consistently funny, and said the new characters Ben and Chris were starting to hit their stride. However, Hochberger said Eduardo subplot felt like a contrived device to continue keeping April and Andy apart. Not all reviews were entirely positive. David Hinckley of New York Daily News called Parks and Recreation "a good show that could be a better show", claiming it falls short of other NBC comedies like 30 Rock. Hinckley cited the basketball game with Andy, Ron and Tom as a scene that feels too much like a sketch comedy
bit rather than a natural progression of the script. Nick Purdy of Paste
said the addition of new cast members Chris and Ben may have diluted the rest of the cast's talents, and that the episode felt as if it had "too many plates spinning", leaving not enough screentime for strong characters like April Ludgate and Ron Swanson.
Parks and Recreation (season 3)
The third season of Parks and Recreation originally aired in the United States on the NBC television network between January 20 and May 19, 2011. Like the previous seasons, it focused on Leslie Knope and her staff at the parks and recreation department of the fictional Indiana town of Pawnee...
premiere of the American comedy television series Parks and Recreation
Parks and Recreation
Parks and Recreation is an American comedy television series on NBC that focuses on Leslie Knope , a mid-level bureaucrat in the parks department of Pawnee, a fictional town in Indiana. Created by Greg Daniels and Michael Schur, the series debuted on April 9, 2009; it has run for three seasons and...
, and the 31st overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
in the United States on January 20, 2011. In the episode, Leslie
Leslie Knope
Leslie Barbara Knope is a fictional character in the NBC comedy Parks and Recreation. She is portrayed by Amy Poehler. Poehler garnered two Emmy Award nominations for Best Lead Actress in Comedy Series for her role.-Background:...
gets Ann
Ann Perkins
Ann Meredith Perkins is a fictional character in the NBC comedy Parks and Recreation. She is a nurse and best friend of Leslie Knope. She is portrayed by Rashida Jones.-Season one:...
to go on a date with state auditor Chris
Chris Traeger
Christopher "Chris" Traeger is a fictional character played by Rob Lowe in the American comedy television series Parks and Recreation on NBC. He began on the show as an Indiana state auditor who visits the fictional city of Pawnee to help solve their crippling budget problems, and eventually...
to persuade him to increase the parks department budget. Meanwhile, Andy
Andy Dwyer
Andrew Maxwell "Andy" Dwyer is a fictional character in the NBC comedy Parks and Recreation. He is Ann Perkins' ex-boyfriend, a talented-if-yet-unsuccessful musician, a shoe-shiner at Pawnee City Hall, and April Ludgate's husband. He is portrayed by Chris Pratt.-Background:At the start of the...
continues harboring feelings for April
April Ludgate
April Roberta Ludgate is a fictional character in the NBC comedy Parks and Recreation. She is an apathetic college student employed by the Pawnee Department of Parks and Recreation as Ron Swanson's assistant. She is married to Andy Dwyer. She is portrayed by Aubrey Plaza...
, while a youth basketball game is ruined by Tom
Tom Haverford
Thomas Montgomery "Tom" Haverford , born Darwish Sabir Ismael Gani, is a fictional character in the NBC comedy Parks and Recreation. He is a sarcastic, underachieving government official for the city of Pawnee who is revered for his high levels of swagger and unmatched entrepreneurial skills...
's jealousy over Ron
Ron Swanson
Ronald Ulysses "Ron" Swanson is a fictional character played by Nick Offerman in the American comedy television series Parks and Recreation on NBC. Ron is parks department director in the Indiana city of Pawnee and the immediate superior of protagonist Leslie Knope...
dating his ex-wife Wendy.
The episode was written by Alan Yang
Alan Yang
Alan Yang is an American screenwriter for the NBC sitcom, Parks and Recreation.-Career:His previous credits include the Carson Daly's Late Night Show and South Park. In 2009, he was named by Variety magazine as one of "10 Screenwriters to Watch". He currently has three screenplays in development,"...
and directed by Dean Holland
Dean Holland
Dean Holland is an Emmy Award-winning, American film editor, television director and producer best known for working on Entourage and the NBC comedy shows The Office and Parks and Recreation...
. It was the first to feature Adam Scott
Adam Scott (actor)
Adam Scott is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as Henry Pollard in the Starz comedy series Party Down and as Ben Wyatt in the NBC comedy Parks and Recreation....
, Rob Lowe
Rob Lowe
Robert Hepler "Rob" Lowe is an American actor. Lowe came to prominence after appearing in films such as The Outsiders, Oxford Blues, About Last Night..., St. Elmo's Fire, and Wayne's World. On television, Lowe is known for his role as Sam Seaborn on The West Wing and his role as Senator Robert...
, Jim O'Heir
Jim O'Heir
Jim O'Heir is an American actor. He was active in the Chicago theater during the 1980s and 1990s as part of the theater group White Noise, and appeared in such plays as The Book of Blanche, Stumpy's Gang and Ad-Nauseam with the group...
and Retta
Retta (comedian)
Retta Sirleaf, better known simply as Retta, is an American stand-up comedian and actress, who is currently appearing as Donna Meagle on the NBC comedy series Parks and Recreation...
as regular cast members rather than guest performers. Frequent guest stars Jama Williamson
Jama Williamson
Jama Williamson is an American actress. She was active in New York City theater throughout the early 2000s, during which she appeared in such shows as Avery Crozier's Eat the Runt, Hunt Holman's Spanish Girl, A. R. Gurney's Sylvia and Simon Mendes da Costa's Losing Louis...
and Natalie Morales
Natalie Morales (actress)
Natalie Morales is an American actress of Cuban descent.Growing up, she attended St. Agatha Catholic School before going to Southwest High School, and participated in the University of Miami Dow Jones Minority High School Journalism Workshop...
also reprised their roles. "Go Big or Go Home" marked the first original Parks and Recreation episode in eight months. It was filmed immediately after the second season
Parks and Recreation (season 2)
The second season of Parks and Recreation originally aired in the United States on the NBC television network starting September 17, 2009, and ended on May 20, 2010. The season was produced by Deedle-Dee Productions and Universal Media Studios, and series co-creators Greg Daniels and Michael Schur...
concluded due to Amy Poehler
Amy Poehler
Amy Meredith Poehler is an American comedian, actress and voice actress. She was a cast member on the NBC television entertainment show Saturday Night Live from 2001 to 2008. In 2004, she starred in the film Mean Girls with Tina Fey, with whom she worked again in Baby Mama in 2008. She is...
's pregnancy, but NBC ended up placing the show on hold to accommodate their new series, Outsourced
Outsourced (TV series)
Outsourced is an American television sitcom set in an Indian workplace. It was based on the John Jeffcoat film of the same name and adapted by Ken Kwapis and Universal Media Studios for NBC. The series originally ran from September 23, 2010 to May 12, 2011...
.
The season premiere was the first Parks and Recreation episode to air in its new 9:30 p.m. Thursday time-slot between the two popular shows The Office and 30 Rock
30 Rock
30 Rock is an American television comedy series created by Tina Fey that airs on NBC. The series is loosely based on Fey's experiences as head writer for Saturday Night Live...
. According to Nielsen Media Research
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
, it was seen by 6.19 million households. It was the series' highest rating in the ages 18 to 49 demographic, and marked the highest overall viewership since the series premiere
Pilot (Parks and Recreation)
"Pilot" is the first episode of the first season of the American comedy television series Parks and Recreation. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on April 9, 2009. The episode was written by series co-creators Michael Schur and Greg Daniels, and directed by Daniels...
. The episode received generally positive reviews, with several commentators particularly praising the scene featuring "Swanson Pyramid of Greatness", Ron Swanson's guide to successful living.
Plot
After three months of closure due to the Pawnee budget crisis and government shutdown, LeslieLeslie Knope
Leslie Barbara Knope is a fictional character in the NBC comedy Parks and Recreation. She is portrayed by Amy Poehler. Poehler garnered two Emmy Award nominations for Best Lead Actress in Comedy Series for her role.-Background:...
(Amy Poehler
Amy Poehler
Amy Meredith Poehler is an American comedian, actress and voice actress. She was a cast member on the NBC television entertainment show Saturday Night Live from 2001 to 2008. In 2004, she starred in the film Mean Girls with Tina Fey, with whom she worked again in Baby Mama in 2008. She is...
) excitedly informs her fellow employees that the parks department has been reopened, although on a shoestring budget. State auditors Chris
Chris Traeger
Christopher "Chris" Traeger is a fictional character played by Rob Lowe in the American comedy television series Parks and Recreation on NBC. He began on the show as an Indiana state auditor who visits the fictional city of Pawnee to help solve their crippling budget problems, and eventually...
(Rob Lowe
Rob Lowe
Robert Hepler "Rob" Lowe is an American actor. Lowe came to prominence after appearing in films such as The Outsiders, Oxford Blues, About Last Night..., St. Elmo's Fire, and Wayne's World. On television, Lowe is known for his role as Sam Seaborn on The West Wing and his role as Senator Robert...
) and Ben
Ben Wyatt (Parks and Recreation)
Benjamin "Ben" Wyatt is a character in the TV series Parks and Recreation. The character guest starred in two episodes of season two and was upgraded to a regular in season three. Ben is a state auditor who comes into Pawnee with Chris Traeger to evaluate the town's funds at the end of the second...
(Adam Scott
Adam Scott (actor)
Adam Scott is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as Henry Pollard in the Starz comedy series Party Down and as Ben Wyatt in the NBC comedy Parks and Recreation....
) announce they may only conduct existing park maintenance, but Leslie wants to offer better programs and services. Meanwhile, the always-optimistic Chris continues trying to convince Ann
Ann Perkins
Ann Meredith Perkins is a fictional character in the NBC comedy Parks and Recreation. She is a nurse and best friend of Leslie Knope. She is portrayed by Rashida Jones.-Season one:...
(Rashida Jones
Rashida Jones
Rashida Leah Jones is an American film and television actress, comic book author, screenwriter and occasional singer. She played Louisa Fenn on Boston Public and Karen Filippelli on The Office as well as roles in the films I Love You, Man and The Social Network...
) to go on a date with him. Ann finds him too intense, but Leslie convinces her to accept a date and try to persuade Chris to increase the parks budget.
Due to popular demand from citizens, Ben restarts the youth basketball league, although with only two teams. They are coached by Ron
Ron Swanson
Ronald Ulysses "Ron" Swanson is a fictional character played by Nick Offerman in the American comedy television series Parks and Recreation on NBC. Ron is parks department director in the Indiana city of Pawnee and the immediate superior of protagonist Leslie Knope...
(Nick Offerman
Nick Offerman
Nick Offerman is an American actor best known for his role as Ron Swanson in the NBC sitcom Parks and Recreation. He is also a skilled woodworker.-Early life and career:...
), who is extremely strict and disciplined with his players, and Andy
Andy Dwyer
Andrew Maxwell "Andy" Dwyer is a fictional character in the NBC comedy Parks and Recreation. He is Ann Perkins' ex-boyfriend, a talented-if-yet-unsuccessful musician, a shoe-shiner at Pawnee City Hall, and April Ludgate's husband. He is portrayed by Chris Pratt.-Background:At the start of the...
(Chris Pratt
Chris Pratt
Christopher Michael "Chris" Pratt is an American actor, best known for his roles as Harold Brighton "Bright" Abbott in the television series Everwood, the recurring character Winchester "Ché" Cook in season 4 of The OC, Andy Dwyer in the television series Parks and Recreation and for portraying...
), who is very laid back and lets his kids go out of control. Tom
Tom Haverford
Thomas Montgomery "Tom" Haverford , born Darwish Sabir Ismael Gani, is a fictional character in the NBC comedy Parks and Recreation. He is a sarcastic, underachieving government official for the city of Pawnee who is revered for his high levels of swagger and unmatched entrepreneurial skills...
(Aziz Ansari
Aziz Ansari
Aziz Ansari is an American actor, writer, and stand-up comedian. He currently stars as Tom Haverford on the NBC show Parks and Recreation....
), who referees the game, becomes jealous when his ex-wife Wendy (Jama Williamson
Jama Williamson
Jama Williamson is an American actress. She was active in New York City theater throughout the early 2000s, during which she appeared in such shows as Avery Crozier's Eat the Runt, Hunt Holman's Spanish Girl, A. R. Gurney's Sylvia and Simon Mendes da Costa's Losing Louis...
) arrives to support Ron. Tom insists he is happy with his new girlfriend Lucy (Natalie Morales
Natalie Morales (actress)
Natalie Morales is an American actress of Cuban descent.Growing up, she attended St. Agatha Catholic School before going to Southwest High School, and participated in the University of Miami Dow Jones Minority High School Journalism Workshop...
) and does not mind that Wendy is dating Ron. However, Tom repeatedly calls false fouls against Ron's players until all of them are benched. When Ron and Wendy get angry, Tom ejects them from the games and declares it a forfeit, which concerns Lucy.
Ann finds she enjoys her date with Chris. When she asks why he is always so positive, he explains he was expected to die as a baby due to a blood disorder, so he now feels fortunate to be alive every day. Leslie crashes the date to help Ann persuade Chris to increase the parks budget, but to her surprise, Ben also arrives, having predicted Leslie's plan. The four end up taking their date to a gay bar called The Bulge, where Chris tells Leslie he will consider increasing the parks budget. Leslie excitedly declares "mission accomplished", accidentally giving away her scheme and prompting Chris to leave, hurt that Ann had an ulterior motive for the date. Later, however, Ann apologizes to Chris and asks for another date, to which he happily agrees.
Meanwhile, April
April Ludgate
April Roberta Ludgate is a fictional character in the NBC comedy Parks and Recreation. She is an apathetic college student employed by the Pawnee Department of Parks and Recreation as Ron Swanson's assistant. She is married to Andy Dwyer. She is portrayed by Aubrey Plaza...
(Aubrey Plaza) shows up to work after having disappeared three months. Andy still has a crush on April, who previously liked Andy until she learned Ann had kissed him. Andy had been leaving messages to April ever since, but she did not return them because she was in Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
, where she met her new boyfriend, the handsome Eduardo (Carlo Mendez). A discouraged Andy seeks advice from Leslie, who encourages him not to give up and to "go big or go home". Inspired by her own advice, Leslie proposes restoring the parks department with a Harvest Festival
Harvest festival
A Harvest Festival is an annual celebration which occurs around the time of the main harvest of a given region. Given the differences in climate and crops around the world, harvest festivals can be found at various times throughout the world...
, which was once a Pawnee tradition until eliminated by budget cuts. Leslie and the other parks employees agree that if it is not a success, the parks department will shut down. Impressed by their enthusiasm, Chris and Ben agree to the idea.
Production
"Go Big or Go Home", the third seasonParks and Recreation (season 3)
The third season of Parks and Recreation originally aired in the United States on the NBC television network between January 20 and May 19, 2011. Like the previous seasons, it focused on Leslie Knope and her staff at the parks and recreation department of the fictional Indiana town of Pawnee...
premiere, was written by Alan Yang
Alan Yang
Alan Yang is an American screenwriter for the NBC sitcom, Parks and Recreation.-Career:His previous credits include the Carson Daly's Late Night Show and South Park. In 2009, he was named by Variety magazine as one of "10 Screenwriters to Watch". He currently has three screenplays in development,"...
and directed by Dean Holland. It was the first to feature Adam Scott, Rob Lowe, Jim O'Heir
Jim O'Heir
Jim O'Heir is an American actor. He was active in the Chicago theater during the 1980s and 1990s as part of the theater group White Noise, and appeared in such plays as The Book of Blanche, Stumpy's Gang and Ad-Nauseam with the group...
and Retta
Retta (comedian)
Retta Sirleaf, better known simply as Retta, is an American stand-up comedian and actress, who is currently appearing as Donna Meagle on the NBC comedy series Parks and Recreation...
as regular cast members rather than guest stars. Frequent guest performers Jama Williamson and Natalie Morales also reprised their roles. The episode was originally expected to debut in September 2010 and, due to Amy Poehler's pregnancy, the Parks and Recreation producers decided to write and film the first six episodes of the season early so it could meet that air date. However, to accommodate their new comedy series Outsourced
Outsourced (TV series)
Outsourced is an American television sitcom set in an Indian workplace. It was based on the John Jeffcoat film of the same name and adapted by Ken Kwapis and Universal Media Studios for NBC. The series originally ran from September 23, 2010 to May 12, 2011...
, NBC opted not to put Parks and Recreation on the fall schedule, and instead delayed the third season premiere to a mid-season date of January 20, 2011. Due to the delay, "Go Big or Go Home" is set in the fall, when it was supposed to air, rather than the winter when it was actually broadcast. NBC chief executive officer Jeff Gaspin
Jeff Gaspin
Jeffrey "Jeff" Gaspin is an American television executive and was most recently the Chairman of NBC Universal Television Entertainment. Gaspin resigned his position in late 2010, as a precursor to Comcast taking controlling ownership of the now newly rechristened NBCUniversal, which occurred on...
said this move was not a reflection on Parks and Recreation, and suggested the extended hiatus would not only have no negative effect on the show, but could actually build anticipation for its return.
"Go Big or Go Home" was the first original episode since "Freddy Spaghetti
Freddy Spaghetti
"Freddy Spaghetti" is the second season finale of the American comedy television series Parks and Recreation, and the 30th overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on May 20, 2010...
" in May 2010, and executive producer Michael Schur
Michael Schur
Michael Herbert Schur is an American television producer and writer, best known for his work on the NBC comedy series The Office and Parks and Recreation, the latter of which he co-created along with Greg Daniels...
said while he believed it was a strong episode, there were fears the hiatus would hurt the momentum of the series: "Of course, any time you're not on the air, you run the risk of people forgetting about you; that's the sad thing about the mid-season show." The week of the third season premiere, Amy Poehler said of the hiatus, "It was an NBC decision and certainly we were confused. But I think, weirdly, there's a momentum that comes from people waiting for us, which is nice." Poehler also said the long hiatus made an ironic sort of sense for the script, since at the beginning the characters have "taken too much time off and we've all gone a little crazy". While Parks and Recreation previously aired on 8:30 p.m. EST on Thursdays, "Go Big or Go Home" marked the first episode in a new 9:30 p.m. Thursday time-slot between the two popular shows The Office and 30 Rock
30 Rock
30 Rock is an American television comedy series created by Tina Fey that airs on NBC. The series is loosely based on Fey's experiences as head writer for Saturday Night Live...
. Poehler said of the time-slot, "'The Office' is such an amazing show and to be behind it is an honor." In anticipation of new viewers due to the Office lead-in, "Go Big and Go Home" included an introductory sequence describing the previous events of the series.
"Go Big or Go Home" introduced the subplot of restoring the parks department budget through a harvest festival, which continued to be a major story arc throughout the first seven episodes of the season. It also marked a major development in the romantic subplot between Ann and Chris. Rashida Jones said of her character: "I think women over-correct from their last boyfriends, and Chris is very much the opposite from Mark," a reference to Mark Brendanawicz
Mark Brendanawicz
Mark Brendanawicz is a fictional character in the NBC comedy Parks and Recreation. He is the city planner for Pawnee, Indiana, one of Ann Perkins's ex-boyfriends, and Leslie Knope's colleague. He is portrayed by Paul Schneider...
, a character eliminated the previous season. During one scene at Ann's house, Leslie suggests outlandish and inappropriate ways for Ann to try to seduce Chris into increasing the parks department budget, including wearing a sleeveless tuxedo dress that suddenly bursts open. Amy Poehler said she and Jones improvised
Improvisation
Improvisation is the practice of acting, singing, talking and reacting, of making and creating, in the moment and in response to the stimulus of one's immediate environment and inner feelings. This can result in the invention of new thought patterns, new practices, new structures or symbols, and/or...
much of the scene. Poehler said of the scene, "I think it's really funny how little game (Leslie) has with guys. She's not a fool, it's just not her expertise, so when she talks about how to be sexy or hot to get someone's attention, it's always really crazy."
Cultural references
John Wooden
John Robert Wooden was an American basketball player and coach. Nicknamed the "Wizard of Westwood", he won ten NCAA national championships in a 12-year period — seven in a row — as head coach at UCLA, an unprecedented feat. Within this period, his teams won a record 88 consecutive games...
. The pyramid includes several different categories, with honor at the top, and others below it such as America, buffets, wood working, welfare avoidance and deer protein. A poster of this pyramid was included in promotional materials given to media in advance of the episode's broadcast, and images of it were later placed on the official Parks and Recreation website. During the basketball game, Ron wears a red sweater and, at one point, angrily throws a chair into the court. These are references to the basketball coach Bobby Knight, who Ron had professed great admiration for in the pilot episode
Pilot (Parks and Recreation)
"Pilot" is the first episode of the first season of the American comedy television series Parks and Recreation. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on April 9, 2009. The episode was written by series co-creators Michael Schur and Greg Daniels, and directed by Daniels...
.
During scenes at the gay bar, a stylized stencil poster of Leslie hangs on the wall. It is designed in a similar way to the Barack Obama "Hope" poster
Barack Obama "Hope" poster
The Barack Obama "Hope" poster is an image of Barack Obama designed by artist Shepard Fairey, which was widely described as iconic and became synonymous with the 2008 Obama presidential campaign...
designed by artist Shepard Fairey
Shepard Fairey
Frank Shepard Fairey is an American contemporary graphic designer, and illustrator who emerged from the skateboarding scene. He first became known for his "André the Giant Has a Posse" sticker campaign, in which he appropriated images from the comedic supermarket tabloid Weekly World News. His...
, with the word "Knope" instead of "Hope". This poster was previously featured in the second season
Parks and Recreation (season 2)
The second season of Parks and Recreation originally aired in the United States on the NBC television network starting September 17, 2009, and ended on May 20, 2010. The season was produced by Deedle-Dee Productions and Universal Media Studios, and series co-creators Greg Daniels and Michael Schur...
premiere "Pawnee Zoo
Pawnee Zoo
"Pawnee Zoo" is the second season premiere of the American comedy television series Parks and Recreation, and the seventh overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on September 17, 2009...
", where Leslie is praised as a gay rights hero for marrying two male penguins at a ceremonial wedding at the zoo. During the parks department shutdown, Tom gets a part-time job at Lady Foot Locker
Foot Locker
Foot Locker, Inc. is an American sportswear and footwear retailer, with its headquarters in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, and operating in approximately 20 countries worldwide. Formerly known as Venator Group, Inc., it is the successor corporation to the F.W. Woolworth Company , and many of...
, a retail sportswear and footwear store. He wears the store uniform, which resembles a referee shirt, when he actually referees the youth basketball game later in the episode. Tom's part-time job is a reference to the second season episode "Woman of the Year
Woman of the Year (Parks and Recreation)
"Woman of the Year" is the seventeenth episode of the second season of the American comedy television series Parks and Recreation, and the 23rd overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on March 4, 2010. In the episode, Ron is presented with a woman of the year...
", where it is revealed Tom's friend Jean-Ralphio also worked at a Lady Foot Locker.
Ratings
In its original American broadcast, "Go Big or Go Home" was seen by an estimated 6.19 million household viewers, according to Nielsen Media ResearchNielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
, with a 3.2 rating/8 share among viewers between ages 18 and 49. It marked the series' highest rating in that demographic, and the highest overall viewership since the series premiere episode from April 2009, which was seen by 6.77 million household viewers. "Go Big or Go Home" lost about a quarter of the viewership of the episode of The Office ("Ultimatum
Ultimatum (The Office)
"Ultimatum" is the thirteenth episode of the seventh season of the American comedy television series The Office, and the show's 139th episodes overall...
"), which was seen by 8.3 million households, but New York
New York (magazine)
New York is a weekly magazine principally concerned with the life, culture, politics, and style of New York City. Founded by Milton Glaser and Clay Felker in 1968 as a competitor to The New Yorker, it was brasher and less polite than that magazine, and established itself as a cradle of New...
magazine described this as a "respectable drop-off" given the popularity of that series. Parks and Recreation received a higher rating in its time-slot than the CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
crime drama series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is an American crime drama television series, which premiered on CBS on October 6, 2000. The show was created by Anthony E. Zuiker and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer...
, which had more viewers at 14.34 million households, but a lower 3.1 rating/8 share. Both shows were defeated by the Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
comedy-drama series Bones
Bones (TV series)
Bones is an American crime drama television series that premiered on the Fox Network on September 13, 2005. The show is based on forensic anthropology and forensic archaeology, with each episode focusing on an FBI case file concerning the mystery behind human remains brought by FBI Special Agent...
, which received a 6.5 rating/10 share and was seen by 10.55 million households.
Reviews
"Go Big or Go Home" received generally positive reviews, with several critics particularly complimenting the "Swanson Pyramid of Greatness" joke. HitFixHitFix
HitFix, or the HitFix.com is an entertainment news website that launched in December 2008 specializing in breaking entertainment news, insider information and providing reviews and critiques of film, music and television...
writer Alan Sepinwall said the episode was effective in appealing to both new and old viewers, developing various character subplots and establishing the harvest festival story arc. He also praised the performances of Chris and Ann, which he called a far better and more interesting pairing than Ann with Mark Brendanawicz. Linda Holmes of NPR
NPR
NPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...
suggested the season premiere was a good place for newcomers to the series to start watching. She said all the characters were funny and the two new cast members had been seamlessly integrated into the show. Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
magazine writer James Poniewozik
James Poniewozik
James Poniewozik is an American journalist and television critic. He writes Times Tuned In column and has a blog with the same name.Originally from Monroe, MI, Poniewozik attended the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, graduating with a BA in English. He subsequently attended the graduate program...
called the episode an "excellent start" to the season, and said the harvest festival subplot would help better focus the series by giving the characters a single goal. Poniewozki said it also "reminds us that the show is about something: the idea, maybe quaint-seeming in this political climate, that civil servants can actually see themselves as servants and work in their community's interest". Damian Holbrook of TV Guide
TV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
said "Go Big or Go Home" was an improvement on an already strong second season, claiming "the comedy seemed snappier, the relationships better grounded and the ensemble cast at their best.
CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
writer Henry Hanks praised the season premiere and said he was "overjoyed" that the show had returned. He found particularly funny the scenes at the start of the episode which showed the part-time jobs Tom, Donna and Jerry had during the parks department hiatus. Steve Heisler of The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
said "Go Big or Go Home" not only included many fun moments, but that the jokes felt "fresher and more rambunctious" than they had in the previous season, and that the shows seemed to have discovered "a newfound sense of purpose". Gail Pennington of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch is the major city-wide newspaper in St. Louis, Missouri. Although written to serve Greater St. Louis, the Post-Dispatch is one of the largest newspapers in the Midwestern United States, and is available and read as far west as Kansas City, Missouri, as far south as...
said "Go Big and Go Home", along with the five other first episodes of the season "couldn't be funnier". The Hollywood Reporter
The Hollywood Reporter
Formerly a daily trade magazine, The Hollywood Reporter re-launched in late 2010 as a unique hybrid publication serving the entertainment industry and a consumer audience...
writer Tim Goodman felt the episode was a strong start to the season, and particularly praised Rob Lowe, whose character he said was "really beginning to jell". Blogcritics
Blogcritics
Blogcritics is a blog network and online magazine of news and opinion. The site—a self-proclaimed "sinister cabal of superior writers"—was founded in 2002 by Eric Olsen and Phillip Winn...
writer Jerome Wetzel wrote, "I can't express in words how good it is to have Parks and Recreation back on television." Wetzel said the characters were so well defined that the show rivaled the ensemble cast of The Office, a comedy made by the same producers as Parks and Recreation. Zap2it
Zap2it
Zap2it is an American website and affiliate network that provides news, photos and video, local TV listings and movie showtimes. The site is produced by Tribune Media Services , part of the publishing division of the Chicago-based Tribune Company...
writer Rick Porter wrote that Parks and Recreation "was one of the two or three funniest comedies on TV when it finished its second season, and it begins its third season having lost none of its mojo". He particularly praised the performances of Nick Offerman and Rob Lowe.
Matt Fowler of IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
said the episode was a pleasant way to return to the series, and was glad the harvest festival would give the characters something specific to focus on. However, Fowler felt there was a lack of closure over Tom's resentment in the episode of Ron dating Wendy. Joel Keller of TV Squad felt the new Chris and Ben characters served as a strong springboard into the third season, and that the premiere episode lived up to the anticipation caused by the show's long hiatus. However, Keller said Tom's continued pining for Wendy felt "a little protracted at this point". New York
New York (magazine)
New York is a weekly magazine principally concerned with the life, culture, politics, and style of New York City. Founded by Milton Glaser and Clay Felker in 1968 as a competitor to The New Yorker, it was brasher and less polite than that magazine, and established itself as a cradle of New...
magazine writer Steve Kandell praised the episode and said the parks department employees taking drastic steps to save their department reflected Parks efforts to seek out higher ratings. Kandell, however, felt introducing Chris' tragic back story in the episode felt rushed. Eric Hochberger of TV Fanatic called the episode consistently funny, and said the new characters Ben and Chris were starting to hit their stride. However, Hochberger said Eduardo subplot felt like a contrived device to continue keeping April and Andy apart. Not all reviews were entirely positive. David Hinckley of New York Daily News called Parks and Recreation "a good show that could be a better show", claiming it falls short of other NBC comedies like 30 Rock. Hinckley cited the basketball game with Andy, Ron and Tom as a scene that feels too much like a sketch comedy
Sketch comedy
A sketch comedy consists of a series of short comedy scenes or vignettes, called "sketches," commonly between one and ten minutes long. Such sketches are performed by a group of comic actors or comedians, either on stage or through an audio and/or visual medium such as broadcasting...
bit rather than a natural progression of the script. Nick Purdy of Paste
Paste (magazine)
Paste is a monthly music and entertainment digital magazine published in the United States by Wolfgang's Vault. Its tagline is "Signs of Life in Music, Film and Culture."-History:...
said the addition of new cast members Chris and Ben may have diluted the rest of the cast's talents, and that the episode felt as if it had "too many plates spinning", leaving not enough screentime for strong characters like April Ludgate and Ron Swanson.
External links
- "Go Big or Go Home" at the official Parks and Recreation site